1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information authenticating apparatus and an authenticating station performing authentication of data, and to an information authenticating apparatus and an authenticating station adapted to improve probative value of data as evidence by ensuring the objectivity of the data in particular.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently in the United States, not only photographs taken with usual cameras, but also digital images taken with digital cameras are becoming accepted as evidence in law suits. However, digital data such as digital images, which are relatively easily susceptible to alteration in general, has a problem of insufficient probative value as evidence.
For example, a vehicle control event data authenticating apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-115831 is conventionally known as an apparatus relating to a technique of improving the probative value of digital data as evidence.
The aforementioned apparatus records control events such as a series of driving operations performed by a driver before, during, and after the occurrence of a car accident, and comprises a micro-controller which is connected to receive control event information and which provides first information by adding a first time stamp and a vehicle identification number VIN to the control event information and outputs the first information to a memory according to a time overlapping method; a memory which is connected to the micro-controller and a microprocessor, and which stores the first information and second information according to the time overlapping method; and the microprocessor, which is connected to the memory and a plurality of transducers, determines whether or not received collision data are different from past collision data, and when different, generates the second information in addition to the collision data for which a second time stamp and a VIN have been received.
In the aforementioned conventional vehicle control event data authenticating apparatus, however, a time stamp is generated on the basis of a value acquired from an internal timer and added to control event information. The internal timer value may be altered by the user or suffer from deviations caused by, for example, secular deterioration, thus causing a problem in that the control event information has insufficient probative value as evidence.
For the control event information recorded by the micro-controller, a “signature” is added by the micro-controller. That is, the time stamp and a prescribed identification value are contained so as to ensure that the recorded control event information has been generated during maneuvers of a particular vehicle. This “signature”, independently generated and added, has poor objectivity and also has insufficient probative value as evidence.
Because a personal ID or a vehicle identification number VIN is stored in the memory as is, it may be altered by the user, thus resulting in insufficient probative value as evidence.
In addition to law suits, on the other hand, the following cases conceivably require improvement of probative value as evidence of data.
When carrying out an examination in a hospital, for example, it is conceivable to record data proving when, where, and who has been examined. Since such data are important for a patient, it is hoped that the data are never altered by anyone, and are objective. In this case, therefore, it is necessary to improve the probative value as evidence of the data.
When delivering a parcel via door-to-door delivery service, for example, it is conceivable to record data proving when and by whom the parcel has been delivered and via what route, and such data are necessary when the parcel is lost or damaged in the course of delivery. The data should therefore be free from alteration and have objectivity. In this case, therefore, it is necessary to improve the probative value of data as evidence.
Other cases include evidencing the photographer, date or place when taking photographs of an accident site or exclusive photographs of people in show business, recording survey data in an academic survey, specifying details of a purchase order with an orderer when entering the order for a product or a service via telephone or facsimile, and proving the date of copyright when composing a piece of music.